by Asia Fields, Nicole Santa Cruz, Ruth Talbot and Maya Miller, design by Ruth Talbot
A record number of Americans are living outside. Cities have responded by removing encampments from public spaces, a practice commonly referred to as “sweeps.” In the process, workers often take people’s belongings — including important documents, survival gear and irreplaceable mementos.
Over and over, people across the country told ProPublica they were devastated by such losses. We gave them notecards so they could explain in their own words how the sweeps have affected them.
[Here are some of their stories](https://projects.propublica.org/impact-of-homeless-sweeps-lost-belongings/).
